CH in NB: Clematis Paniculata

This is the story of clematis paniculata. I spent most of my life thinking that clematis was pronounced "cle-maa'-tis" until someone gently informed me that "clematis" is pronounced cle'-muh-tis. Just so we know what we are talking about here.

When we constructed the deer-proof garden in the back forty, we decided that it would be fun to have some flowering plants in addition to the vegetables, so I erected some lattice work with the idea of having several climbing plants that could perhaps be seen from the house. Climbing roses were a natural choice, but I thought a clematis would be nice--if one could be found that would withstand the heat of the Hill Country. There are lots of clematises--a plant that we had grown both in Massachusetts and Connecticut--so the question was which clematis to choose. Clematises are somewhat particular about their growing conditions, I knew from experience. They like their heads in the sun but their feet in the cool shade. I knew we would have no trouble with the first requirement (there is lots of sun) but I figured the only way for cool roots would be an abundance of mulch.

Last winter as the garden catalogs arrived, I salivated once again at the publication of White Flower Farm. It's not only the lushest plant catalog you can find, but we knew the nursery, located in Litchfield, Connecticut, about 30 miles from our former home. White Flower Farm is a place to visit as often as possible--it is a dream nursery.

I spotted the beautiful picture of clematis paniculata (also called Sweet Autumn Clematis)--an autumn-blooming clematis with masses of tiny white flowers, and I thought, perfect! A clematis that would bloom when everything else was going dormant, so I called and placed my order. The WFF operator informed me that clematis paniculata would not grow in my region, and they could not guarantee its survival. Buoyed by optimism, I said to send it anyway--I would take my chances. Unfortunately, the order was not due to be shipped until the first of May (it takes a while for Connecticut-grown plants to emerge from their winter dormancy) so I was resigned to waiting--knowing, however, that "spring" begins in these parts in February.

A few weeks later I was nosing around a local nursery, which still featured only a few, sad-looking plants that were still in their winter rest period, when I came across--a single clematis paniculata! I asked the attendant if the plant would grow in our climate; when she assured me that it would, I bought the plant on the spot, came home and called WFF and canceled my order. The dormant clematis went into the raised bed along with two climbing roses, and a lot of mulch was added to keep the soil around the roots as cool as possible when the hot summer sun was blazing.

Imagine my surprise when the autumn-blooming plant began budding in July and then began blooming around the first of August! Here it is, in all its glory.